“So, you don’t know what you two are, now?” Her eyes were twitching watching Yuri eating loudly some chips, not having closed her eyes at all.

Taeyeon couldn’t stop replaying every little detail of last evening, how Sunny said that she liked her, that she just needed time.

Tossing her heavy head on the desk she grimaced for the umpteenth time that morning. “I told you, I don’t know. She asked for time, I am giving it to her.”

“Yeah, but like, are you more than friends? Friends with benefits? ing buddies- “She slapped her head hard, Yul almost screamed.

“Just eat your bloody chips and shut up!” Her head was splitting in you, she didn’t need the mental image of that.

“ fine! You are in a mood today eh.” She ignored her and tried to sleep, ignoring the History teacher too.

“Can we hear that song too? I am curious, come on Frodo!” That day seemed infinite and she wanted to just go home and sleep for few days.

“You cannot and now stop talking to me please, my head is killing me.” Yuri and Jessica shared a worried look on, but just shrugged in the end. When Taeyeon was in a bad mood it was the best to let her be, they learned that at their own expanse.

“You have an headache? Where does it hurt?” Sunny and Tiffany arrived at the gym.

Today their teachers had organized a merged lesson, they were going to do some kind of special sports class, so everyone was in their gym uniform, that consisted in sport shorts and a white cotton shirt with the stemma of the school imprinted on. Taeyeon wasn’t against sports, but doing it in public was going to be problematic for her.

Miss President had her hair tied in a tiny ponytail, the shirt reaching almost the end of her shorts. That was a sight for sore eyes, she felt almost like smiling.

“It’s ok, I just need to sleep it off.” Sunny was staring at her face, catching hint for lies and pain.

“So you didn’t sleep again?” Now worry was visible on her whole face.

She felt a bit awkward on what to do, don’t knowing where you stand with a person is hard. Should she tell her the truth? Should she not? “I got a bit of an insomnia problem, is not unusual, don’t worry about it.” She chose to lie a bit this time, to not pressure her, she asked for patience and she braced herself to have it.

The girl snorted side eyeing her. “Sure thing.” And swayed her attention to the teacher that was explaining what they were going to do, her arms crossed under her chest.

Taeyeon felt really like smiling at her being slightly pissed. Using her shoulder as a support for her elbow, she waited for the tiny girl to yield. “I really hope she won’t get us to do dodge ball, or worse volley ball.” She didn’t like being the libero all the ing times.

“You don’t like being the libero, eh?” She heard Yuri and Tiffany snickering at their expanse.

In the end Sunny gave up and made her arm embrace her shoulders, playing with her hand at the other end. Now even her headache seemed to lessen of intensity.

“It’s only fair Tae, if you are that short and plus you aren’t good with balls.” Yul smirking at her, daring to say something.

“Hey, I am good with some kind of balls.” She smirked back, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh? And what kinds?” She was about to say exactly that when she remembered whom shoulders she was hugging, gulping she realized she fall into a trap.

“Ah forget it!” Yul winked at her and she almost punched her, if her right hand wasn’t being held by soft fingers.

Just then the teacher announced that they were going to be divided in teams, to play volley ball. Jessi actually sighed out loud, practicing already a abrupt stomachache.

“Oh come on, Jess some sport can do you just good.” She actually punched their friend into the ribs.

“Just shut up, you animal.” Then proceeded to huff for another minute.

Honestly she was about to do the same, she wasn’t in the mood, not even a bit. “I think I’ll follow you Jessi, volleyball now sounds just awful.” Jessica nodded and they high-fived.

But then Sunny pouted. “Oh come on, actually it could help easy down your headache!” Those puppy eyes were going to be the end of her. “Then what about we make a bet?”

“A bet?” Her voice was too sweet, this was another trap.

“Yes, a bet. We do two different teams, and who wins, well wins the bet.” Her tone immersed into honey was clouding her rational side.

Tiff was clearing shacking her head in front of her, making guillotine gesture, indicating her to say no.

“What kind of bet then?” The cheerleader was about to choke herself.

“You can decide what you want.” She smiled and crossed her arms, a dangerous shade into her eyes. “I want my song registered, and in my possession.”

Her cheeks got the shade on mature tomatoes. “Your song?” The girl nodded, holding the hand on her shoulder into hers, smiling like she had millions of secrets.

“It’s your song now?” Tiffany in front of her was still making choking signs.

“Well, you wrote it for me, right? So it’s my song, and I want it so I can listen to it whenever I want.” Taeyeon gulped hard, she was kind of right, but the idea made her flustered.

“She’s right, and we want to hear it too!” Yul slapped her nape and she sighed.

“Fine then, but I need to think about it, for my end of the deal. So you’d have to hear it later.” She had nothing on her brain now other than buffering.

Sunny glanced at her, her eyes suspecting. “Do I have to accept at sight unseen?” Her eyebrow raised in challenge, a strange light into her look, a shiver passed all her spine.

“Afraid so.” Miss President continued to stare in that particular way before nodding, detangling from their embrace and extending her hand. She shacked it and Tiff almost crawled on the floor.

“Why did you? Now we have to play for real! Can’t you two just make out already and don’t pain us like this?” She sounded desperate and Tae watched in shock, scratching her neck in embarrassment.

“Oh, God, I second that.” Jessi wasn’t helping, her skin becoming bright red again. She glared at her friend who shut .

I just want to sleep, please.

She didn’t think her team was so bad, Yuri was always good in sports, Jessica wasn’t bad if there was no running, and the other girls didn’t seem like weak ones. Sunny was smirking at the other end of the net, Sooyoung and Yoona opposing Yuri in height, Hyoyeon already snapping her neck and few other intimidating girls. At least Tiffany was huffing and puffing praying for the torture to end soon.

At first it seemed sort of balanced, she was good in receiving and in defense. Then she saw Sunny do a save so impossible it left her speechless, her entire body sliding on the floor, taking the ball with just her tiny fist.

At that exact moment she met Yuri’s eyes, the same terror reflecting into them.

We’re so ed.

“I told you! She’s that competitive!” Tiff was screaming at her from the enemy field, when the short girl almost dropped in a split to raise the ball.

Taeyeon was horrified and the same time her brain couldn’t not register the fact that Miss President could actually do a full split. She distracted herself for two seconds and the ball fled straight to her face, making her drop on her and groan.

Hearing Sunny snickering she snorted, checking for blood under her nose, thankfully there was none.

“Good catch Taengoo.” There she was, still laughing, but kneeling near her. “All okay?”

“Yeah, I play with all my body too.” Her face felt all swollen and numb, but it was nothing really.

She called me in a strange way.

She realized the nickname.

“What did you just call me?” Her voice sounded strange into her own ears, the brunette smiled, scrunching her nose and pecked her cheek before standing up and jogging away.

She was left numb and dumbfounded, Yul helped her to stand up, her eyes still wide opened.

“I know on what your erted mind was focusing on, but please try to follow the game eh? We are losing.” She slapped her shoulder still in a daze.

She felt all warmth inside, like in winter drinking a hot cup of tea. I have a cute nickname now.

“Get your head in the game, you fool.” Jessi slapped hard her head and she was in the present again.

In the end they lost big time.

In the changing room, changed into that dumb uniform, she took her head in between her hands, already thinking on how to register a song, with her phone? This was going to sound awful.

“Hey, I am all ready and dressed. You can look now and we can go.” Sunny was tapping her shoulder a sweet teasing smile on her lips. She chuckled and watched as the now slightly wavy hair made her face look even younger.

“Come on then cheater, I want to go home and sleep for two days.” She extended her hand that was taken without hesitation. Her thumb already doing little circles on still humid skin.

“How dare you to call me cheater! You agreed to our fair bet and now you suffer the consequences.” Taeyeon snorted.

“Sure, but how I was supposed to know that you are practically a professional volleyball player eh?” That counted as cheating.

“I am not, I am just very competitive, especially when there’s something I want as the price.” She was smiling like a giddy kid who had all the candies she wanted. “Speaking of it, I want my song registered like it deserves, so tell me what you need and I’ll buy it.” She let go of the hand, eyebrows knitted and disbelieve in her heart.

“No, no, that wasn’t in the deal. You won’t buy me anything.” Sunny had the audacity to pout.

“I am! This isn’t for you, this is a egoistic request that you have to accord me.” She would make a cute lawyer, but she couldn’t relent like this.

“No bunny, I can’t accept that. You can’t buy me things… like that… I can’t let you.” The difference in their social classes already made her feel bad, even if it was hard saying no disappointing those sweet eyes.

“I don’t need your permission, you know? And I am doing it for me.” She was all smug and it touched a different chord in her pride.

“Just because you could own me that doesn’t mean I’ll let you buy me. I don’t need your money anyway, you’ll have your song. Don’t worry about it.” The angry and impulsive voice escaped her lips and now she was in front of an hurt mist a fury stare. She saw clearly the impact of her words, a lower lip quivering and then stopped from teeth, disbelieve in brown eyes.

“I don’t want to buy you. I just wanted to gift you something that could make you happy, because I can. But if that is your opinion of me? You know what?” Her voice cracked a bit and she stopped, gulping to recompose herself. “You know what? Keep your song, just forget it.” And she turned around to leave.

Taeyeon was in a daze, stuck on the spot, until she heard the sound of the door opening. Her brain finally registering what an she could be when touched on some topics. “Wait, wait… wait!” But she didn’t wait and went outside.

She followed her in the hallway, from her side she could see tears being swept away as soon they left her eyes. “Hey, I am sorry, I am so sorry. I was an , that just escaped me, I don’t think it.”

“If you said it there must be a reason!” Her icy glare almost froze her, but her lower lip was still quivering and it hurt her.

“I think I have a really frail ego about money things, I am sorry, I got angry for no reason.” Now they were walking side to side, Sunny was staring at the exit and she was in total panic. “Please just listen to me.”

Why she was such an hot mess, anyway?

“That doesn’t give you the right to scold me and treat me like that!” At least she was listening to her, that couldn’t be bad.

“I know, I know. Just…” She paused passing an hand on her tosseld hair, the other girl actually stopped walking, now looking at her, tears in her eyes. “Why I always end up making you cry, eh?” She caressed away the remaining drops, Sunny letting her.

“Because you are mean.” That was said with such an childish voice she almost chuckled.

“I am sorry I reacted badly ok? I am just well aware of the difference we have in the money topic, it makes me sensitive.” Their eyes met and she saw hers softening, still doubts in the corner.

“Hey dykes, love quarrel?”

Then someone shoved bot of them in the lockers. Her shoulder burned form the impact but she immediately looked at her side. “You ok?” Sunny was holding her own shoulder, but there was fire in her gaze.

In an instant she stood tall and proud, power walking to reach that guy. “Where do you think are you going, you jerk?” Blinking her eyes she tried to reach them. “What do you think you were doing eh?” The guy watched below and smirked.

“Home, you angry little dyke?” Sunny put her hands on her hips blocking his way.

“What’s your name? Never mind I know who you are, and that’s why I am giving a big opportunity. You can apologize right now to us and promise to never do something like that again, or I am going right to the principal and they’ll suspend you or worse expel you, if I ask so. And you know what that means? You’ll lose your scholarship for rugby for college. Make your choice.” Now she seemed six feet tall, the boy with fear on all his face.

Taeyeon was ready behind her, fearing some kind of physical backfire.

Instead the guy lowered his head, biting his lip to blood and apologized, like really apologized and promised to never do that again.

“Thank you, now that was a warning, I’ll be watching you.” Sunny turned away and the boy almost ran to the exit.

There was still rage on her face, but when their eyes met again she teared up and ran to the bathroom.

What’s with today?

She ran after her, thanking every divinity she could think of that the school was almost empty, everybody out already. She found the girl crying her eyes out on the sink and after a brief moment of, what the am I supposed to do?, Taeyeon hugged her close, feeling sobs on her neck, wetting her shirt.

“Hey, it’s okay, you almost made him piss himself you know? That was awesome. Sure, I was kind of afraid he would just snap your neck, but hey it went well.” She was totally improvising, caressing her back, felling tiny crawls press against her shirt.

A muffled “Just shut up.” Made her close .

She kissed her temple, rocking her gently back and forth, the sobs decreasing until Sunny emerged from her neck, her eyes puffy and red. Pecking her forehead she took her arms away to get some tissue from her backpack, wetting them a little under the sink. Then she pressed them gently on irritated eyes.

She felt like crying too, honestly.

“Sorry, for all of it. That’s my fault anyway, if you weren’t with me now all of it could’ve been avoided.” Taeyeon sighed finishing her delicate work. “Maybe you shouldn’t associate with me in the end.” She was sincere, all of it was the truth and she felt so guilty.

“Done with the victimizing monologue?” The high voice surprised her and so did the annoyed stare. “It’s his fault, not yours, stop blaming yourself.” She blew her nose and huffed.

She shacked her head and looked at the other with surprise. “You are not angry with me anymore?”

“Of course I am still mad at you, but you are just an innocent idiot and you are gentle when you want to be.” Sunny watched herself in the mirror and grimaced. “This isn’t entirely your fault, anyway. I let him upset me, that shouldn’t be happening.”

Suppressing her question for the moment she leaned on the sink. “You are too hard on yourself, you handled him pretty well, he was really scared.” She giggled at the imagine, the elephant scared of the mice.

“What are you laughing at? You are not off trouble.” But she was smiling a bit.

Taeyeon opened her arms wide. “Come here, you can be still angry at me while I hug you.” Sunny snorted but eventually she was in her arms, her hands gripping at the back oh her shirt. “Forgive me I am stupid.” She laughed into the crook of her neck.

“Fine, I can agree with that.” She scoffed but kept playing with chocolate hair in her hands. “I am going to buy you stuff, and you are going to register all of your songs.” Tae leaned her head back on the wall.

“Ok, but the cheapest ones.” The head on her collarbone shacked saying a clear no and she huffed. “You are impossible.”

“That's why you like me.” Her giggle made goosebumps rise on her skin.

She could just nod, despite herself.